


The Phantom menace of a dark future

by AthenaSilver



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Ben Skywalker is Obi-Wan Kenobi, F/M, Young Anakin Skywalker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 05:21:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13228923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaSilver/pseuds/AthenaSilver
Summary: Ben Skywalker was a mysterious man who kept a shadow in him that frightened the Jedi order and threatened the shadow of the Sith. He was determined to protect the galaxy but especially to watch over Anakin that he intended to move away from the Jedi but also Sith and despite the mission he had set, he couldn't prevent the darkness to threaten the balance of peace ...





	The Phantom menace of a dark future

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for the mistakes and misunderstandings you will encounter in your reading. English isn't my mother tongue. If someone wants to correct my mistakes…

**The Phantom menace of a dark future**

  
_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ..._

  
**_Tatooine_ **

The twin suns shone a thousand lights in a cloudless blue sky, pouring on the desert stretches of the planet a sparkling white light. As far as the eye could see, the sand reflected the blinding reflection of the two diurnal stars. Stifling heat waves rose in columns between the crevasses of massive cliffs and the geological outcrops that formed the only reliefs in the surrounding landscape. A man walked in the middle of this burning desert. He was a human with brown hair pulling the red, nascent beard and eyes dark blue. He was dressed in a peasant's tunic and wore over his clothes a dull black cloak. He walked for several hours before reaching his destination, sneaking through a crowd that had gathered in a specific center of the city. He listened to the few murmurs that filtered around him and probed his surroundings before a smile lit up his impassive face. He ignored the looks he felt landing on him and traced his path, guided by the Force. He managed to find a free spot in the stands and he looked for a particular presence he found on the track. A young boy, human, not older than ten years old. The child was the only human to participate in the Podracer. A challenge of Tatooine requiring talent and daring, this favorite sport of spectators of Mos Espa seemed inaccessible to any normally constituted human but apparently, this young boy seemed to be an exception.

  
The pilots sailed between ancient carved columns before launching on the sand of the arena installed at the exit of Mos Espa. They passed under the arch of arrival, in front of rows and rows of bleachers full of cheering spectators, along the repair shops where the official droids stood and under the boxes from which, overlooking the plebs, the Hutts were attending the race draped in their selfish splendor. The stranger followed with great attention the race that unfolded before his eyes and meticulously observed each of the boy's gestures. He saw the boy pull the controls toward him and his podracer lifted slightly to peel off the pebbled ground. He was able to feel a profound change in the Force and knew that without the kid being aware of it, he was using Force. He was impressed by the natural and powerful power that seemed to flow into the child's veins. He watched as the child lost control of his gear towards the end of the race and recognized the boy's skill on a podracer. He knew that if the opponent of the little human had played fair, he should have taken this race because it was undeniable that the child had talent.

He stood up and withdrew from the stands, his mind deep in thought. It was difficult to admit it but to see this child had opened a deep wound in him, an umpteenth that would scarcely heal with time. He looked up at the cloudless sky and wondered if one day he could heal the wounds that blew deep in his being, if he could forget the lies, deceptions, betrayals and losses that had tarnished his soul and darkened his mind. He knew that the light that had once shone in him had lost its luster and the flame was about to go out, but that did not stop him from believing in the light he had seen This child's heart, to believe in the innocence he had perceived in this kid and who, if he allowed it, could shine even more and flood the galaxy. It was his mission, certainly the last he would have to accomplish and he was planning to carry it out because of his success or failure, the fate of the galaxy depended.

  
While the twin suns of Tatooine were disappearing behind the horizon, the chestnut-haired man set out to begin his mission and stopped a few steps from a workshop, his gaze immediately a little boy, a little short, with locks of blond hair like sand, a turned-up nose and inquiring blue eyes.

  
"Good evening", greeted the man.

  
The boy turned around and looked inquisitively at him, frowning. He was hard to explain, but he felt something coming from him that attracted him. He heard a buzzing sound in his ears and a warmth in him. The presence of the man was ... reassuring.

  
"Good evening".

  
The man stepped forward and stopped a few inches from the child.

  
"I attended your race earlier and you were really extraordinary", complimented the stranger.

  
"Thank you very much."

  
It was the first time he received a compliment from an adult and was touched to see that some people were able to notice his talent. He wanted to become a pilot someday. A dream he cherished for some time.

  
"Did you hurt yourself after losing control of your podracer ?" asked the man.

  
The child appeared for a moment puzzled by the question and surprised that a stranger was worried about his state of health while his master had just reprimanded him a little earlier for destroying the machine and wasting money on his owner. His master, like his mother, was a slave since birth and belonged to Watto, a Toydarian who had won him and his mother on a bet.

  
"I ... uh ... no ... no, I didn’t hurt myself", he replied stammering.

  
The man stared at him for a long moment and the boy could not help but squirm, uncomfortable under the piercing blue eyes of the stranger.

  
"What's your name?"

  
"Anakin Skywalker, sir."

  
"I'm glad to know you, Anakin."

  
"And what is your name, sir?" asked the child.

  
The man smiled with a mysterious and mischievous air, meeting Anakin's gaze.

  
"Ben," said the man with the brown hair. "Ben Skywalker."

  
"As ... as ... Skywalker as me ..."

  
"Yes, as you", Ben agreed.

  
Anakin blinked, startled. It was quite odd for him to meet a man who had the same last name as his. He wanted to ask the man different questions, seeking to know a little more about this stranger who had piqued his curiosity. Why did they wear the same name? Did they belong to the same family? It was amazing how just a name could instill so much hope into him. How simple a stranger could upset his dismal existence.

  
"I need to talk to the owner of the workshop. Can you lead me to him?"

  
Anakin nodded quickly and almost rushed inside the shop. Ben followed suit and entered the workshop, which was located in the heart of the Mos Espa merchant district. It was a shabby hut of mud and sand, planted at the entrance of a field where piled up rockets and parts of various engines recovered here and there, on wrecks. In the shade of the hut, it was cool. The thick walls of mud knew how to stop the overwhelming heat of the planet. The dust remained suspended in the misty rays of the light projected by the incandescent lamps.

  
"What are you doing here? Didn’t I send you to work?" Watto barked.

  
"Would it be possible to do business with you, sir ...?"

  
"Watto," said the Toydarian, casting a suspicious glance at Ben. "What kind of business?"

  
"The kind that could bring you a nice amount of money."

  
Watto's eyes glittered and he glared at the two slaves in the room.

  
"What are you doing to look at us? Get to work!"

  
Anakin left the room mumbling curses, his mother placing a hand on his shoulder to guide him out. He was angry because he wanted to hear the kind of negotiations that Ben and Watto would have had to deal with. He was curious and always wanted to satisfy his curiosity. Ben was a strange character who fascinated him a lot and with whom he felt like he had some kind of connection.

  
"Go ahead, Anakin. The dinner will wait."

  
His mother gave him a warm smile and his irritation disappeared almost immediately. He loved his mother deeply and loved her smile. He thought she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy with her long black hair, somewhat tarnished by the twin suns and the lack of maintenance, and her hazel eyes sparkling with love.

  
"But it will soon be night," he protested, pouting.

  
He wasn’t lazy and never reluctant to do his job, but today he had no desire to start repairing the podracer that had been destroyed during the race.

  
"Ani ..."

  
"Besides, I can’t leave Ben alone with this Watto climber."

  
His mother was about to reply when their master walked out of the studio with Ben, a big smile on his face. Anakin thought for a moment that he was shocked to see how much the Toydarian could be even more scary with a smile. He was sure he would have nightmares that night.

  
"Here’s your new owner," said Watto. "Take your slaves and leave my workshop."

  
Watto returned to his shop, leaving Anakin and his mother stunned without any further explanation.

  
"You bought us ?!" Anakin rebuked.

  
The child was angry and had the impression of being betrayed by Ben because he had thought that the man was different from the adults he had met in his short life but it was clear that he was was badly deceived and his illusions had just shattered.

  
"Only to give you back your freedom," Ben said soothingly. "I'm against slavery, Anakin, and I would never consider your mother and you as such."

  
To punctuate his statement, Ben handed the papers he had obtained from Watto to the boy's mother.

  
"I give you your freedom, Shmi. You’re free, you and your son."

  
Shmi took the documents with a trembling hand and looked at the man confusedly. She didn’t know this man, but he had bought her and her son to become free. Why would a stranger do this for them?

  
"Why ?"

  
"I just want to help, Shmi," Ben answered sincerely.

  
The newly free woman did not know what to think of this man who presented himself as a savior. She had spent most of her life being a slave and now that freedom was offered to her, she was lost. Now that they no longer belonged to Watto, she and her son had no roof because the house belonged to the Toydarian.

  
"We can trust him, mom," said Anakin.

  
Shmi turned his head to his son, dubitative. She knew that her child had amazing abilities and that he could predict events long before they took place. Anakin had always told him that it was like a tug in the air, a whisper of warning, a suggestion that no one could perceive. He had an extraordinary ability to discern things and their real values. So even though she was reluctant to trust a complete stranger, she had faith in her son's judgment.  
Shmi let out a sigh and rested his eyes on Ben.

  
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, sir ...?"

  
"Ben Skywalker. And you will not regret it."

  
"Skywalker?" she said, surprised.

  
"The night falls and the air begins to cool. Why don’t we go out and eat with a good meal and discuss your future?" Ben offered.

  
"All right," agreed Shmi.

  
Anakin gave a howl of joy that made both adults laugh. They first stopped in the old house of Shmi and Anakin to recover their belongings. The house of the old slaves was small and shabby, stuck in the middle of dozens of others, all built on the same model, with thick walls of mud and sand. These were the typical dwellings provided to the slaves of this district of Mos Espa: a rough hut with a main room in which opened one or two niches for sleeping. Shmi and Anakin took care to bring with them the most important of which the droid that the boy had built in the idea of assisting his mother for household chores as well as the speeder he had managed to build without his former owner is aware of it. Then they left the house with their savior.  
.

.  
A week had passed since the liberation of Anakin and Shmi. They had left the city of Mos Espa the next day alongside their savior, Ben, for the quieter and quieter one of Anchorhead. The city was inhabited mainly by farmers. Previously it was a mining town that was abandoned because of the poor quality of the minerals collected during the operations. In Anchorhead, life was hot and humid but certainly more peaceful than Mos Espa. Shmi felt at ease and seemed to radiate a completely new joie de vivre that pleased Anakin who was delighted to see her so happy. Their dream of being free at last had been realized thanks to Ben who shared their life now because of the freedom that had been offered to them, they didn’t know what to do and had no place to live nor money to survive. Also, the proposal that was made to them by Ben was more than welcome for them.

  
"Anakin," Ben reprimanded him.

  
"I try but I can’t," grumbled the boy.

  
"I know you hate meditating but it's important that you apply and focus on your exercises."

  
"Yes I know."

  
Ben, who was sitting on a meditation mat, looked dubiously at the boy who was standing in front of him meditating, scowling. Ben shook his head before getting up.

  
"I'm counting on you to practice during my absence," Ben said.

  
"I'll do it," the child promised.

  
"And above all, empty your mind, Ani."

  
Anakin nodded. Ben refrained from sighing and leaned down to kiss the boy's forehead before leaving the terrace for his room where he went to get ready. Anakin put away the carpet and followed the tantalizing smell that came from the kitchen where his mother prepared their meal while humming a happy tune. He stopped at the kitchen doorway, watching his mother with a smile on his face. He would never tire of seeing her in such a state.

  
Shmi turned to him, smiling tenderly.

  
"Still unable to concentrate?" She guessed.

  
Anakin let out an irritated groan.

  
"I can’t do it," he said. "I'm trying to clear my head but I can’t. I’m still thinking of the repairs I need to make to C-3PO or the farms I intend to visit. I just can’t stop thinking!"

  
"You'll get there, darling," Shmi encouraged. "You're just starting your training."

  
"But at this pace I'll never get there!" complained the boy. "I can’t even meditate!"

  
"As your mother pointed out, we have just started your training. You don’t have to feel frustrated because you don’t seem to evolve in your training. Persevere and you will see that your stubbornness will bear fruit," said Ben.

  
"All right," Anakin whispered.

  
Ben ruffled affectionately at Anakin's blonde hair and then looked at Shmi.

  
"I'll probably be back in two days before dark," he warned.

  
"We'll wait for you."

  
"You'll come back, will not you?" Anakin asked, anxious.

  
"Of course," Ben assured. "I don’t intend to abandon you, you and your mother. You have my word, Ani."

  
Anakin believed in the word of the man but that didn’t prevent him from being worried and being sad at the idea of not seeing Ben for two more days.

  
"I would always be here, Ani, wherever I go, wherever you are," Ben added, putting a hand on the boy's chest where he could feel Anakin's heartbeat.

  
Anakin threw himself into Ben's arms, who hugged him in a strong, reassuring embrace.

  
"I'll come back, Ani."

  
Anakin stifled a sob and pulled back from Ben's embrace reluctantly. He didn’t want the man to leave but he knew that the departure of the latter was essential for the continuation of their new life. Ben kissed him on the forehead again and then nodded to Shmi before leaving the house they rented in a remote part of town. Anakin ran to the entrance and watched Ben's landspeeder vanish under a wind of sand.

  
"And what would you say to the table, huh?" Shmi suggested.

  
Anakin looked away from the sandy landscape and sat down with his mother, trying to overcome the feeling of emptiness that had seized his being from Ben.

  
The next day, Anakin still felt a deep sadness due to Ben's departure but was reassured by feeling a familiar and comforting presence in his mind. The link was not yet powerful but enough for Anakin to feel Ben. As soon as he woke up, he had immersed himself in his meditation exercises, but to his greatest frustration, he had just failed, unable to empty his mind. He gave an exasperated sigh and let his eyes drift over the landscape around their home.

  
"Hello, Ani."

  
He looked up at his mother who took a seat beside him.

  
"Hello, mum."

  
"And if we meditated together?" Shmi suggested. "Maybe at two it would be easier for you."

  
"Do you want to meditate?" Anakin wondered.

  
"Well, it seems to me to be a good way to calm all the emotions that boil in me. Ben always seems much more serene after a meditation session then ..."

  
Anakin nodded eagerly, happy to get his mother involved. Shmi waved him between his legs and Anakin complied, happy to be surrounded by the warmth of his mother. He leaned his back against Shmi's chest and closed his eyes, concentrating only on the arms around him.

  
The mother and son stayed in this position for long minutes before Anakin opened his eyes and a radiant smile lit up his face.

  
"I succeeded, mom! I managed to empty my mind!" if he exclaimed.

  
Shmi kissed her son's blonde hair and then got up from the floor, grimacing in pain. She really did not get used to this kind of position anymore.

  
"You see you can do it."

  
Anakin nodded, still smiling.

  
"Can I now go to Mos Espa?" He asked.

  
"Anakin."

  
"I promise you to be careful. I just want to go see my friends and say goodbye. Please, Mom."

  
"Your father has formally asked us to wait for him here," said Shmi.

  
"Yes, but he didn’t forbid me to go to Mos Espa," the boy replied.

  
Shmi pinched her lip, indecisive. Ben and she had been chatting for hours, enjoying the fact that Anakin was asleep to speak freely. The man had confided in her and hadn’t omitted any details about his past. She was at first doubtful, unable to believe in such a story, but the evidence he presented was irrefutable. Shmi had been shocked by such revelations but was still pleased to see that he did not intend to leave her in the dark, that he trusted her enough to confide in her and let her know what she was doing embarked with him. He had asked for only one thing in return, that she accept that he could adopt Anakin as his son. They had talked about adoption the next day to Anakin who had been excited about having a father like all the other children they knew, happy to finally have a complete family.

  
"No, Ani," she finally decided. "We are wisely waiting for Ben in Anchorhead. If you're bored that much, why don’t you go play with Owen, the Lars' son? He has repeatedly invited you to play if I remember correctly."

  
"It's boring, mom. He is afraid of everything."

  
"You shouldn’t judge this boy so hard, Ani."

  
"But it's true ! It's a coward who dreams of becoming a farmer like his father."

  
Shmi sighed, tired of his son's behavior. She loved her child, but there were times like this when she wanted to take a vacation away from him.

  
"There is nothing degrading about wanting to be a farmer, Ani. If he likes this job, you don’t have the right to judge his choice of life and even less to belittle the profession of Mr. Lars," she reprimanded him. "And if you're bored like that, continue your meditation exercises. I have some housework to do and we have to prepare our things before your father returns."

  
Shmi pulled out of the living room and went to take care of the house cleaning, letting his son crawl against himself. Anakin growled, irritated by his mother's ban on going to Mos Espa. He just wanted to pay a visit to his friends before leaving the planet forever. Why couldn’t his mother understand him? Moreover, his father had never forbidden him to leave Anchorhead let alone say goodbye to his friends.  
A sly smile appeared on his lips and he rushed into his room to change his clothes. It was still early and, with luck, he could go by speeder to Mos Espa to visit his friends at mid-day, talk a little with them and be back to Anchorhead before sunsets . No detour, no incarceration. He grabbed his protocol droid and placed it in his speeder.

  
"Where are you going like that?" asked his mother.

  
"Take a walk and see if I can find parts for C-3PO," he replied.

  
He had failed to say that he was planning to tour Mos Espa and that the search for parts for his droid was incidental. He never lied to his mother and felt some remorse for this lie by omission but he felt a tremendous strength pulling him towards Mos Espa.

  
"Don’t come back too late and pay attention to yourself."

  
"Ok mom ! See you tonight !" he said before leaving the house.

 

 


End file.
